Assessment, Emotional Scaffolding, and Technology: Powerful Allies in the K-12 World Language Classroom

Teachers rely on textbooks and authentic documents to render a country’s people and culture accessible to their students. These documents often include press releases, commercial films, news broadcasts, and audio recordings. Authentic documents are exterior to a textbook’s assessment guide and, therefore, the proper assessment of tasks involving documents of this nature can prove challenging to time-constrained teachers. Effective teachers know which topics interest learners, and they integrate those topics into their curriculum on a regular basis. They also edit and personalize tasks to make learning more meaningful and practical. This strategic appeal to a wide range of students ’ interests and talents seeks to link effective teaching and learning to the dynamics of what has come to be called emotional intelligence. In Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman (1994) cites research that strongly suggests a link between higher academic performance and instructional designs that engage students intellectually and emotionally. According to Goleman, “the abilities called emotional intelligence, which include self-control, zeal and persistence, and the ability to motivate oneself... are skills that can be taught to children ” (p. xii). A more recent article, “Emotiona